Google Chrome OS: Too secure to need security?

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I'm not telling you my mantra...

"How often did the mantra that MacOS was immune to malware need to be repeated until the vast majority of users believed it and continue to do so, even after Apple went as far as incorporating rudimentary AV software into MacOS," Ferguson writes.

"Criminal activity extends far beyond file-based threats, encompassing social engineering, phishing, social networks and email borne threats. The palette is continually expanding and the techniques are continually evolving. To assure your customers that they will not have to deal with online cybercrime simply by switching OS is foolish to say the least," he concludes.

We put Ferguson's arguments to Google, which pointed us towards documents arguing that the security of Chrome networks doesn't rely on any one component (such as sandboxing), but rather "defence in depth", which it claims is better than existing models.

Chromebooks use the first operating system designed with this ongoing threat in mind. It uses the principle of "defense in depth" to provide multiple layers of protection, so if any one layer is bypassed, others are still in effect. So while it's still important to take precautions to protect your data, Chromebooks let you breathe just a little bit easier.

Google let the dig that it was adopting the "security arrogance" of Apple slide, perhaps wisely. While Google's re-imaging of security architectures is welcome, it is unlikely that security problems will change, much less disappear, with wider adoption of the operating system. Google has earned plaudits from the security community for the superior stability and security of its Chrome browser as compared to Firefox. However, the recent rash of Trojans infecting Android devices has drawn criticism. Eugene Kaspersky, for example, has even gone so far as to describe Android as the new Windows.

Whether Chrome OS more closely represents its browser namesake or Android in terms of security will do much to determine the overall security landscape over coming years.

A security overview of Chrome OS can be found here. Ferguson's analysis is here. ®